Guardian SEAL
by WofOZ
Summary: You're wounded, badly, you want to give up completely and yet there's this really, REALLY annoying voice that simply refuses to let you die. Danny has a new experience with a weapon while Steve does everything he can to get the man to hold on just a little longer. NOT A DEATH FIC.


**Sometimes when the mood hits... it's time to whump and get my bromance on! Lol. For those who are buried under a whole bunch of snow like I am, stay warm and read fanfic!**

**Enjoy,**

**Oz**

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Danny Williams believed he'd seen everything. As a veteran police officer he'd seen some things on the job that even HE still had trouble believing. He'd seen dead bodies come back to life, he'd seen cars stacked up like dominoes at an accident sight, hell, he'd seen a transvestite mob liason confess to the murder of one of the highest ranking members of la Familia because the man had insulted her shoes.

How she'd done it? She's used those sparkly pink stiletto heels to stab the man in the neck before bludgeoning the poor bastard to death with her nine hundred dollar Coach purse A bag that was filled with over fifty thousand dollars worth of rolled up fifties.

It had taken Danny and a squad of officers almost a month to track her down because the whole time they'd been thinking the murder was because of a rival gang hit or a personal vendetta. Once they'd caught up with the perp, there was no denying it. She was all to happy to admit to killing the "tasteless ignorant scumbag."

A powerful mob boss, untouchable in most circles taken down because he didn't like a pair of shoes.

Now THAT had been a story Danny had told around the water cooler for years to come.

With experiences like that, it was hard to surprise the detective. It was hard to come up with something he was genuinely shocked at…

… Then he'd moved to Hawaii and the crazy just got crazier.

Which was why, at the moment, Danny found himself staring at a situation he could only describe as a thousand times more shocking than the dolled up transvestite in pink heels. What he was staring at, was a spear; a long one at that and a spear that now currently resided in the left side of his gut, sticking him to the side of the boathouse wall behind.

Now, Danny Williams could officially say, he'd seen everything.

"Hang on Danny, help's coming." The detective looked up from the horror show that was his gut to his partner's worried face. Steve looked like he was constipated, scared and angry all in one go and it did nothing to alleviate Danny's growing fear and concern for his predicament.

"I got shot with an arrow," the detective whooshed out. Finally the shock had worn off, his stunned silence was gone and with it the pain kicked in full force.

That morning, they'd gotten a call from HPD, poachers who'd killed a visiting dignitaries son, had been spotted on the North Shore at a secluded private marina. It had been the break Five-0 had been waiting for so as quick as they could Steve and Danny in the Camaro followed by Chin and Kono and then Lou, made their way across the island in search of their prey.

And they'd found them. Or more like, the poachers found Five-0.

While the others had stayed higher up land and searched the home and garage on the property, Steve and Danny had headed down toward the marina where three boats were tied to a dock. Steve had gone left and Danny had gone right and now, the detective was seriously regretting the decision.

Just as Steve had radioed that the boat he'd just checked was clear and Danny was climbing down from his own checked boat, one of their suspects appeared from the third boat. He caught sight of Danny and panicked firing a gun wildly in his and Steve's direction.

A bullet Danny could have handled, could have processed; it was another perp who'd been hiding from their preliminary check of the boathouse who'd appeared from behind it who'd done him in.

A spear gun, a freaking spear gun meant to take out ocean fish and… NOT detectives was what the man was carrying. Apparently their suspects were getting ready to do a little illegal fishing and hadn't planned on Five-0 interrupting their plans.

Danny'd swung his gun toward the spear holder while Steve managed to shoot their other suspect in the arm. The detective was in the process of ordering the man to drop the "weapon" when the punk pulled the trigger.

At first Danny almost didn't feel it. All he knew was the air being punched from his lungs as he was slammed backward against the hard unforgiving wall of the wooden boat house. The only positive was that because of his height he'd fallen down as the offending object skewered his body and he now sat in an awkward straight up position against the wall. Had he been impaled standing up the situation could have been a thousand times worse.

Not that being stuck like a beatle to a corkboard was pleasant in any way but at least he was sitting down.

"Uh… technically it's a spear not an arrow," Steve said to Danny's comment. The detective despite his flagging health looked at the man incredulously.

"ExCUSE me?" he croaked. Steve shrugged, non-repentant in the least though the concern was still evident on his face.

"It's a spear," the SEAL explained. "And you get impaled by it, not shot."

"Oh, OH, par, pardon me!" Danny grunted. He would have waved his hand had it not been so damn painful to move anything other than his head. "My b, bad," he went on. "I've been IMPALED by a SPEAR and I'm going to die roasting like a pig on a spit in this ridiculously hot Hawaiian sun!" The mini rant sent chards of pain throughout Danny's gut and for a second he nearly blacked out. He would have if a strong hand on his shoulder didn't give him just enough comfort to breathe through the pain and back to the waking world.

"Just relax Danny," Steve said. "Help's coming." Even though his partner's words were calm the detective could see the pinched look and worried glances and knew Steve was more than concerned at the moment.

"How bad?" Danny asked.

"You're going to be fine," the SEAL replied void of any truth. Danny grunted.

"N'didn't ask you to lie to me," he breathed. "I c, can see the blood leaking out from here. How bad?" Steve's eyes locked on his and the hand squeezed his shoulder just a little bit tighter.

"Lou's going to direct rescue to us," Steve replied. "Chin and Kono are getting some supplies from the cars but they'll quick. We'll have you back to your chatty self in no time." Danny almost laughed, ALMOST.

"Steve… don't give me that bull crap, 'you're going to be fine' garbage," he replied. "M'starting to feel a l, little light headed here so I'll re, rephrase for your stupidly o, optimistic brain; How NOT GOOD is it?" Clearly sensing Danny was done with the sympathetic lies, Steve sighed heavily.

"The exit wound is bleeding pretty bad," he answered. "I can't tell what it's done to you or if it's perforated anything so we just have to keep you still and wait for help."

"Wh, what? No yankin' it out this time?" Danny mused.

"Not this time partner," Steve replied with a smile. "Friad you're stuck until fire can come and cut the spear and the medics can stabilize you."

"Uuugh," Danny groaned as another powerful wave washed through him. "M'goina die out here."

"You are not going to die, you hear me Danny?" Steve barked out. "You just gotta hang on buddy, that's all I'm askin' is to hang on." Danny didn't respond to that demand instead he tried to focus on something else.

"Did w, we get'em?" he asked.

"Yup," Steve nodded.

"The s, spear chucker?" Danny breathed.

"Sleeping with the fishes babe, no one shoots my partner and gets away with it," Steve replied. At that the detective did chuckle in spite of the burning pain it caused.

"M'goina make a Jersey man outta you yet," he huffed. "A m, mobster maybe but Jersey none th, the less." Steve laughed which joggled Danny's head slightly; when the man had put a supportive arm around the detective's neck, Danny had no idea.

For a moment the two men were contemplatively quiet; Danny because he felt his strength waning and Steve probably because he simply had no idea what else to say.

What COULD he say?

Their silence was broken when Steve's cell phone rang and the man used his free hand to answer.

"Yeah, Lou what's up?" he asked. When the man's face darkened, Danny knew the situation had just gone from crap to craptastical. "How long?" Steve snarled into his phone. "Why the hell didn't WE get stuck!?" he continued on. Then a moments reply before the SEAL gave a heavy sigh and relented to whatever Lou was telling him. "Okay, okay just tell them to hurry back here as fast as possible."

There was another pause and Danny knew Grover was asking how he was doing; he knew because Steve's eyes briefly flitted down toward the wound before darkening even more.

"Tell them to hurry," the man replied. Once Steve disconnected his phone he yet again plastered an "everything's okay" smile on his face. It was so forced Danny just shook his head and grunted.

"Y've got a t, terrible bed side manner," he said. "Y're face has me dead five m, minutes ago. S'bleeding that bad?" For a moment the SEAL didn't reply but then he worked his jaw and gave a short nod.

"Yeah Danny, it's pretty bad," Steve admitted. "I've done what I can but the bloods not stopping. Kono and Chin have taken the ATV's we found at the front gate to go pick up the paramedics and fire fighters. They'll be back soon." Danny raised an eyebrow at that.

"They c, can't just drive to the g, gate themselves?" he asked.

"Fraid not partner," Steve replied. "That bridge we crossed a mile back? Turns out it was booby trapped, once we showed up here one of our perps must have blown it out so back up couldn't get to us. Rescue chopper is held up because of strong winds and low cloud cover."

"Wonderful," Danny breathed leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

"Hey, hey hey hey come on now, don't close your eyes Danno, keep talking to me," Steve urged. Danny just barely managed to pry his eyes open and look at the blurry figure of his partner. Oh yes, the blood loss was definitely starting to win.

"N'talk about w, what?" he asked. Steve raised an eyebrow as if he hadn't been expecting the man who could talk about everything and anything to ask what they should talk about.

"I don't know… sports? The weather? I heard there's a really good Chinese place on Waikiki we should try, Kamekona approved," Steve shrugged. Danny started laughing but it soon led to another particularly vicious bout of white hot shards of pain riding up his side nearly blinding him with intensity.

In the back of his mind he could just recognize Steve's voice coaching him to breathe through the pain, to focus on his voice and to hang on a little longer.

Damn it all if that coaxing didn't work as soon Danny could focus again, it was only just and the detective knew he'd lose it completely after another bout but still he came back.

"That's it, there we go," Steve cooed almost unnaturally so. "You got this Danny, you got this."

"M'goina die," Danny repeated once more. At some point tears of pain had, without permission, squeezed from his eyes, "M'goina die like a game animal a, and n, no one'll come to the f, funeral cause they'll be t, to busy laughing at th, the ridiculousness of how I k, kicked off."

"Oh my God Danny, this voice of doom thing you've got going on has to stop," Steve huffed. "Didn't we talk about this?" Danny gave his partner as stern a look as his flagging health would allow him.

"Th, that was different," he croaked.

"How? How is it different?" Steve asked. "We've got rescue on its way and this time they don't have to dig us out. In fact, considering, this is actually a better situation to be in." Danny snorted, well tried to anyway.

"O, only you would s, see an upside here," he grunted. "J's do me a favour? D, don't be all… you. M'dying, I can feel it and I'd l, like to d, do it in peace." He let his heavy lids slide shut as quiet once again came over the duo. In fact, Danny was convinced this was the moment; the moment right before the sound around him would blur to nothing and his heart would stop when he was roused by Steve's heavy exaggerated sigh.

"Alright fine, you're a dead man." The adrenaline shot of his partner admitting he was about to die was so powerful Danny snapped his eyes opened and looked at Steve incredulously. The SEAL looked back at him with a serious look.

"W, what?" Danny spluttered.

"I wont fight you Danny," Steve replied. "I want you to go in peace too but I gotta think about what I'm going to say to Grace once you pass." Danny blinked, he was so shocked at his partner agreeing with his dark musings that it took him a moment to get with the program. Steve rolled his eyes and sat next to his partner, leaning against the wall while still providing the detective with relieving support. "I mean, I thought I'd start out with, 'Hi Gracie, your dad was a brave man but today he…"

"No," Danny grunted. "D, don't start it l, like that… make me sound l, like a victim."

"So what should I say?" Steve asked. When Danny didn't reply at first Steve gave him the gentlest of nudges. "Come on Danny, I need something here, you know I'm not good with words." Danny's eyes filled with tears this time, not just of pain but of thoughts of never being able to hold his daughter again.

"Tell her I love h, her," Danny ground out. "N'm'sorry I couldn't c, come home."

"Got it, you love her and you couldn't come home because you got skewered by a fishing spear," Steve nodded.

"NO!" Danny snarled angrily. "Anim, mal! D, Don't tell her that!" His partner was riling him up and deep down the detective knew exactly why but still.

"I'm not telling her you got shot with an arrow Danny," Steve said seriously. "That's not only untrue but I'm pretty sure the Robin Hood excuse wont fly, she's too old for that." Danny forced himself to focus through another wave of pain if for no other reason to try and build up the strength to punch his partner in his smug face.

"M, make something up," Danny wheezed.

"Lie? You want me to LIE to your daughter? Danny… shame on you," Steve replied. Danny choked back a laugh as more tears spilled from his eyes. He was trying, he really was but it was just so damn hard with each passing second.

"You're a bastard," the detective snarled. Some how Steve's hand found it's way into Danny's and the second the injured man felt the warm he clamped down hard. "Tell her s, she's the b, best th, thing that ever happened t'me a, and I, I died p, protecting her h, home."

"That sounds a bit better," Steve nodded. "So you love her, you died protecting her home because you just couldn't hang on for her and gave up. I got this Danno, the team and I should be able to look in on her everyone once and a while… You know, if we aren't on a case or I'm not on a training exercise." A surge of the protective father in Danny reared itself in the man's gut almost numbing the burning pain and pull of unconsciousness that increasingly threatened to take him.

He gripped Steve's hand even tighter, possibly painfully so as the SEAL clearly did his best to hide a wince of his own pain.

"You take care of my baby girl," Danny growled with surprising clarity. "And don't you dare tell her I gave up. I am not GIVING up. Williams' do NOT give up, get me?" Steve continuing to play dumb shrugged as much as he could without jostling Danny.

"Danno, I'm sorry I just don't know how else to put it," he replied. "You said you're going to die. As your partner I believe your word and I just want to help you however I can… Is your Will updated? I can call your parents and ask before you go, maybe say a final good bye?" Danny couldn't help it, he started laughing again, it hurt like a son of a bitch but he just couldn't stop.

Every fibre of his soul wanted to simply let his body shut down and be free of it's horrible pain. He was convinced he'd bleed out and die right then and there but for some reason, for some inexplicable reason, Steve's words had cemented in his brain.

"M'not givin' up," Danny panted through his suffering. He's head drooped to one side onto Steve's shoulder. "M'not giving up," the detective repeated. "N'givn'p," he slurred.

"You will not die, Danny, not today." That single sentence, that statement of absolute 100% truth and a beacon of certain hope, were the last words the detective heard before the world began to permanently fade. His last sounds? The rumbling buzz of ATV motors and the whump whump whump of chopper blades.

**SIX DAYS LATER**

Waking up was at first a disorienting affair; there were noises, voices and sounds that all blurred together into a busy white noise that was in all honesty a little scary. So much so the detective hadn't bothered despite some pleading tones and just allowed his mind to drift back into darkness.

Eventually though Danny finally opened his eyes and didn't immediately feel the need to slam them shut again. He took a few moments just staring at the ceiling of the hospital he was in making sure he was in one piece and truly in fact still alive. After taking stock of his body that, besides a slight pinch in his side and a floating feeling of some strong drugs; the detective alas deduced that yes he was still among the living.

He turned his head slowly to the side to find a sight he had no doubt he'd find upon coming too. Steve, his head tilted back, mouth open in a silent snort and his feet up on the foot of Danny's hospital bed, looked like he'd probably sat down days ago and not ever bothered to get up.

For a moment, Danny just watched his partner, a smile growing on the detective's face as Steve's nose twitched, undoubtedly his "spidey senses" catching on to the fact that someone was staring at him.

"You're something else," Danny said aloud. Well as loud as his underused and dry throat would allow.

Needless to say, Steve's eyes snapped open as if someone had yelled in his ear. The second he saw his partner looking at him he dropped his feet down and scooted closer to the side of the bed with a smile.

"Hey Danno, s'about time you woke up," he grinned.

"Sorry," Danny found himself saying. Steve laughed a confident but more so relieved laugh.

"I'm just glad you decided to rethink your inner voice of doom thing and stick around a little longer," the SEAL chuckled. Danny grinned.

"Yeah… kept on getting drowned out by the voice of this sickeningly optimistic Neanderthal with control issues," he replied. Steve barked out a laugh before shaking his head.

"You should listen to that voice more often," he replied. "May not be the smartest one in the world but he damn sure knows what he's talking about."

"Yeah… maybe," Danny smiled. The truth was, he was grateful to be alive; grateful his partner didn't have to knock on Rachel and Grace's door and tell his little girl her father was never coming home. He knew the emotional struggle that was, he'd done it with his deceased partner Grace Tilwell's family. He'd never forgetten how much it ached to see the deceased detective's mother collapse into her shocked sons arms.

Physical pain you could suffer through, witnessing that emotional pain was worse than death. Being on the receiving end? Knowing his partner Grace would never walk through the squad doors again with a cup of his favourite coffee ever again, that had nearly made Danny quit the police force altogether.

"Eh Steve?" Danny said once again breaking their brief but comfortable silence.

"Yeah Danno?"

"Thanks." It was all the detective needed to say, it was all he could; Steve had pushed all the right buttons to get Danny to fight and ultimately saved his life. No, the rescuers and doctor's did that, Steve had done something better;

He'd saved Danny's soul.

"Any time partner… now we've got a short few hours before a special pig-tailed cheerleading hurricane comes in here with enough "get well" cards and gifts to bury you into next week," Steve smiled warmly. "She got loose at HPD and demanded half the force go out and do something nice for you." Danny chuckled at the thought of his daughter raising a sharp eyebrow, gifted to her by her mother, and staring down even the toughest SWAT officer in the department to get what she wanted. Course she probably had a six foot Navy SEAL kitten eater looming over her shoulder silently daring any and all officers to deny her but still…

"Something else," Danny repeated with a smiled and a yawn. Steve chuckled softly but then slouched down and put his feet back up on the end of his partner's bed.

"Get some more sleep Danno," the SEAL instructed. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Know y'will," Danny sighed settling back into his bed. "Y'always are."

It was a nicked artery, Danny had suffered and he would never have made the hospital if that spear hadn't been perfectly angled and partially plugging up the damage. The medics were amazed, the ER doctor's were astounded and the surgeon had come out of the operating room with a look of pure, head shaking amazement. The detective must have a damn good guardian angel as the doctor had said, there's no other way he could have survived let alone have a prognosis of being fine in a few weeks.

As the wounded but healing detective drifted off, Steve leaned back in his chair allowing his lungs to finally take in a breath of fresh air; The first in days.

"And I always will be," Steve replied to his now oblivious partner's comment; then he too closed his eyes and fell back into an ever vigilant slumber.

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**Hope this wasn't TOO gooey. Ha ha. I'd debated about the last few paragraphs but I was in the mood for bromance. After all, Steve is a half baked cookie, hard on the outside all gooey on the inside! LOL**

**If anyone has a story idea they'd like me to tackle just shoot me a PM and I'll see if I can get'er done!**

**Reviews would be appreciated as always!**

**Oz**


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